W.7.1: Writing Arguments That Answer Opposing Claims
In plain English: W.7.1 is the Common Core grade 7 ELA standard that asks students to write arguments that support a claim with logical reasoning and relevant evidence from accurate, credible sources. New in grade 7, students acknowledge alternate or opposing claims and answer them, organize reasons logically, build cohesion with transitions, and end with a conclusion that supports the argument.
Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
a.Introduce claim(s), acknowledge alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.
b.Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
c.Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), reasons, and evidence.
d.Establish and maintain a formal style.
e.Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy · Domain: Writing Standards · Cluster: Text Types and Purposes · Official standard
Students learn to write a grade 7 argument: one that supports a claim with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, and that also takes the other side seriously. The lesson uses one question seventh graders care about: should an invented middle school, Juniper Valley, move its start time from 7:45 to 8:30 a.m.? The source packet mixes summaries of real publications (a 2014 policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics, 2016 sleep guidelines from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and a 2018 Seattle study) with invented local sources, including an anonymous blog post that gets its facts wrong.
The lesson follows the five parts of W.7.1. Students introduce a claim, acknowledge alternate or opposing claims, and organize reasons logically (a); support the claim with logical reasoning and evidence from accurate, credible sources that shows they understand the topic (b); use words, phrases and clauses to create cohesion and show how claims, reasons and evidence relate (c); keep a formal style (d); and end with a conclusion that follows from and supports the argument (e). The two grade 7 additions get the most time: answering counterclaims in three moves (acknowledge, grant, respond) and checking that a source is accurate as well as credible.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
Introduce a claim and tell an opposing claim from an alternate claim
Answer a counterclaim in three moves: acknowledge it fairly, grant what is true, and respond with evidence
Check that a source is both credible and accurate by comparing its facts with the original
Support reasons with relevant evidence and a sentence of logical reasoning that explains what the evidence shows
Build cohesion with transitions and words that point back, keep a formal style, and write a conclusion that supports the argument
Prior Knowledge Required
Students should already be comfortable with:
Writing arguments with a claim, reasons, relevant evidence and credible sources W.6.1
Tracing an argument and telling supported claims from unsupported ones RI.6.8
Assessing the credibility of a source and quoting or paraphrasing it accurately W.6.8
Finding the median of a data set, the middle value when the values are in order 6.SP.B.5
"You want a later curfew on Saturdays. Write your request in one sentence. Then write the first objection your family will raise, and one sentence that answers it."
Take three or four answers. Point out that the strongest answers named the objection fairly before answering it ("You worry that I will be tired on Sunday, but ..."). Explain that in grade 7, an argument has to do the same thing in writing. Then introduce today's question: Should Juniper Valley Middle School start at 8:30 instead of 7:45? Juniper Valley and Sources C, D, E and G are invented for practice; Sources A, B and F summarize real publications. Read the source packet aloud while students number the seven paragraphs. They put a plus sign next to each fact that supports a later start, a minus sign next to each fact that an opponent could use, and a question mark next to anything that looks wrong.
1Source A: Summary of a policy statement by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), a national organization of children's doctors, published in 2014. The AAP recommended that middle schools and high schools start at 8:30 a.m. or later. It explained that at the start of puberty, the body's sleep-wake cycle shifts, up to about two hours later, so many teenagers cannot easily fall asleep early. The AAP said later start times would help students get 8.5 to 9.5 hours of sleep a night.
2Source B: Sleep guidelines from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, a national organization of sleep doctors and scientists, published in 2016. Children aged 6 to 12 should regularly sleep 9 to 12 hours in every 24 hours. Teenagers aged 13 to 18 should regularly sleep 8 to 10 hours.
3Source C: Juniper Valley student council survey, October (invented). 300 seventh and eighth graders answered. The median amount of sleep they reported on school nights was 7 hours and 40 minutes. (The median is the middle value when all the answers are put in order.) 186 of the 300 students said they feel sleepy in first period on most days.
4Source D: Email from Marcus Bell, transportation director for the Juniper Valley school district (invented). "Each morning our buses run three routes: the high school at 7:15, Juniper Valley Middle at 7:45, and the elementary schools at 8:30. If the middle school moved to 8:30 and nothing else changed, we would need 18 more buses and drivers, about $1.3 million a year. If the middle school and the elementary schools traded start times, we would need no new buses."
5Source E: Note from Dana Whitfield, athletic director at Juniper Valley Middle School (invented). "School now runs from 7:45 to 2:50. Our teams play schools in other districts, and most games start at 4:00. If our day ended at 3:35, players on away teams would leave class about 30 minutes early, about twice a month during their season."
6Source F: Summary of a study published in 2018 in the journal Science Advances. In 2016, Seattle's public high schools and most of its middle schools moved their start time from 7:50 to 8:45 a.m. Researchers studied students at two Seattle high schools before and after the change. Median sleep on school nights rose by 34 minutes, from 6 hours 50 minutes to 7 hours 24 minutes.
7Source G: Post on a blog called "SleepyTeenFacts," with no author named. "Doctors say every teenager needs 12 hours of sleep, and the American Academy of Pediatrics wants school to start at 10:00! Starting later ALWAYS raises test scores by 50 percent. Look it up!"
SVHS lesson authors, Source packet: Should Juniper Valley Middle School Start Later? (Sources A, B and F summarize real publications; Sources C, D, E and G and the people in them are invented for practice, and Juniper Valley is not a real school). Original passage written for this page.
Direct Instruction15-20 minutes
Teach the words of the standard and leave them on the board:
Argument: writing that tries to convince readers that a claim is true, using reasons and evidence.
Claim: the main point the writer wants readers to accept.
Opposing claim: a claim that says the writer is wrong, for example "Keep the 7:45 start."
Alternate claim: a different answer to the same problem, for example "Keep 7:45 but assign less homework." Counterclaim is the name for either kind when a writer answers it.
Acknowledge: state the other side fairly, in words its supporters would accept. Grant (or concede): admit what is true about it. Respond: show with evidence and reasoning why your claim still holds.
Logical reasoning: the explanation that connects evidence to a reason, so readers see why the fact matters.
Accurate source: one whose facts match the original, with numbers and words unchanged. Credible source: one readers can trust because of who wrote it and how they know.
Cohesion: the way sentences and paragraphs stick together. Transitions (however, because, for this reason) and words that point back (this cost, the trade, that result) create it.
Formal style: careful, respectful school language with no slang and no insults, even toward people who disagree.
Work through the five examples. Then show Diagram 1 as the plan of the model argument.
A claim that expects an answer
Topic: homework at Juniper Valley. First try: Weekend homework is annoying. This is a complaint; it does not say what should change.
Result: Claim: Juniper Valley teachers should stop assigning homework that is due on Mondays, so that students have one full day off each week. It names the change, and a reader could argue the other side, which is why the writer will need to answer that side.
Opposing or alternate?
Two classmates disagree with the claim. One says, Keep the 7:45 start; buses cost too much. The other says, Keep 7:45, but make lunch longer so students can rest.
Result: The first is an opposing claim: it says the change should not happen. The second is an alternate claim: it accepts that students are tired but offers a different fix. A strong argument can answer both.
Credible and accurate?
Source G says, Doctors say every teenager needs 12 hours of sleep. Source B, the guidelines of a national organization of sleep doctors, says teenagers aged 13 to 18 should sleep 8 to 10 hours.
Result: Source G is not accurate: its number does not match the doctors' own guidelines. It is also weak, since it names no author. Use Source B, and never repeat a fact you have not checked against the original.
Evidence plus reasoning
Evidence: After Seattle moved its start time from 7:50 to 8:45, median sleep at two high schools rose by 34 minutes. A fact alone does not tell readers why it matters for Juniper Valley.
Result: Reasoning: If a start nearly an hour later gave Seattle students more sleep, a 45-minute change could do the same here. The reasoning sentence links the fact to the claim.
Cohesion across sentences
Choppy: Moving the middle school alone would need 18 more buses. The district could trade start times with the elementary schools. Nobody would need new buses.
Result: Cohesive: Moving the middle school alone would need 18 more buses. However, if the district traded start times with the elementary schools, that expense would disappear. However signals the contrast, the if clause shows the condition, and that expense points back to the buses.
Hand out the model argument. Read it once for meaning. On the second reading, students highlight the claim in one color, each reason in a second, each counterclaim in a third and each response in a fourth. Ask: Which counterclaim is opposing and which is alternate? What does the writer admit is true? Which source in the packet did the writer leave out, and why?
1At 7:45 each morning, many Juniper Valley students sit in first period trying to stay awake. In a student council survey, 186 of 300 seventh and eighth graders said they feel sleepy in first period on most days. Juniper Valley Middle School should move its start time from 7:45 to 8:30 a.m. A later start fits the way teenagers sleep, it would give students more sleep, and the district can make the change without buying new buses. The change raises real concerns, and they deserve an answer.
2The first reason is that a 7:45 start works against the teenage body. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, a national organization of children's doctors, the body's sleep-wake cycle shifts up to about two hours later at the start of puberty. For this reason, the AAP recommends that middle and high schools start at 8:30 a.m. or later. In other words, a seventh grader who cannot fall asleep at 9:00 is not being stubborn; the shift is part of growing up.
3Because students cannot easily go to bed earlier, a later start is the most direct way to give them more sleep. Juniper Valley students reported a median of 7 hours and 40 minutes of sleep on school nights. That is less than the 8 to 10 hours the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends for teenagers, and under the 9 to 12 hours it recommends for children who are 12 or younger. A real school district suggests that a later start helps. After Seattle moved its start time from 7:50 to 8:45, a study of two Seattle high schools found that median sleep on school nights rose by 34 minutes. That result also answers a common worry, that students would simply stay up later.
4Opponents of the change point out that buses are expensive. They are right that the simplest version of the plan would cost too much. According to transportation director Marcus Bell, moving the middle school to 8:30 without changing anything else would require 18 more buses and drivers, about $1.3 million a year. However, Bell also explains that if the middle school and the elementary schools traded start times, the district would need no new buses. The trade would give elementary students an earlier start, so the district should ask elementary families what they think before it decides. Still, the trade shows that cost does not have to block the change.
5Coaches have raised a second concern. Athletic director Dana Whitfield notes that if the school day ended at 3:35 instead of 2:50, players on away teams would leave class about 30 minutes early, about twice a month during their season. This is a real cost, but it is a small one. It affects team members for part of a class a few times a month, while an early start affects every student, every school day.
6Some students have suggested a different solution: keep the 7:45 start but assign less homework, so that students can go to bed earlier. Less homework might help a little, but this idea misses the main cause. The AAP points to the body's sleep cycle, not homework, as the reason teenagers fall asleep late.
7For these reasons, Juniper Valley should start at 8:30 a.m. A later start matches the teenage sleep cycle, gives students a real chance at more sleep, and costs nothing extra if the district trades start times with the elementary schools. The concerns about buses and sports are worth planning for, but neither one outweighs the benefit of students who are awake for first period.
SVHS lesson authors, Model argument: Juniper Valley Should Start at 8:30. Original passage written for this page.
Guided Practice15 minutes
Pairs complete the map of the model argument below, writing each paragraph's job in their own words and copying the words that link it to the paragraph before. Circulate and ask each pair to show where each fact came from in the source packet.
Map of the model argument (students fill in the last two columns)
Paragraph
Job in the argument
Words that link it to what came before
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Next, pairs read the weak draft below on the same question. They list its problems in four columns: claim and organization, sources (credible and accurate?), how it treats the other side, and style. They do not rewrite it yet; that happens in Activity 3.
School should start later because kids are tired. Doctors say we need 12 hours of sleep and the AAP says school should start at 10:00, so 7:45 is crazy. Some people say buses cost too much but that's a dumb excuse. Also sports. Anyway starting later ALWAYS raises test scores by 50 percent so it's obvious. People who disagree just don't care about kids. Start later!!
SVHS lesson authors, Weak draft for revision. Original passage written for this page.
Independent Practice15 minutes
Each student writes one counterclaim paragraph for an argument on the start-time question. Students who agree with the model writer answer a counterclaim the model does not answer; for example, families who drive students before work need the 7:45 start. Students who disagree write the model's claim as their counterclaim and answer it. Either way, the paragraph must follow the three moves in Diagram 1: acknowledge the claim fairly, grant what is true, and respond with at least one accurate fact from a credible source in the packet, named in the sentence, plus a sentence of reasoning. It must also use at least two words or phrases that create cohesion. Collect the paragraphs to check the counterclaims and the source choices before the homework.
Closure5 minutes
Exit ticket: (1) Name one opposing claim and one alternate claim on the start-time question. (2) Name the source in the packet that is not accurate and the source that proves it. (3) Copy one transition from your paragraph and name the relationship it shows.
Hand out the homework source set below. It asks a new question about the school cafeteria, with six new invented sources. Students also use it for questions 6, 16 and 19 of the quiz.
1Source 1: Note from Rosa Delgado, cafeteria manager at Juniper Valley Middle School. "We serve about 600 lunches a day, with one foam tray for each lunch. A case of 500 foam trays costs $30. Our trash hauler does not recycle foam trays, so every tray goes to the landfill."
2Source 2: Email from Principal Anita Rao. "Washable plastic trays cost $4 each, and we would need 800 of them so that clean trays are ready while others are washed. That is $3,200 at the start. Washing trays would add about 2 hours of kitchen staff time each day at $20 an hour, plus about $5 a day in water and electricity."
3Source 3: Count by the Juniper Valley green club. During one five-day school week, the club counted 3,000 foam trays thrown away in the cafeteria. They filled 12 large trash bags.
4Source 4: Recycling guide from the county solid waste department. "Foam cups, plates, trays and takeout boxes are not accepted in county recycling bins. Please place them in the trash."
5Source 5: Advertisement from a company that sells washable trays. "Our trays pay for themselves in ONE MONTH! Schools everywhere are switching. Order today!"
6Source 6: Comment on a parents' forum, posted by a user named "ForestMom." "Washable trays spread germs. Everyone knows that. Keep the foam."
SVHS lesson authors, Homework source set: Should Juniper Valley Replace Foam Lunch Trays with Washable Trays? (all six sources and the people in them are invented for practice). Original passage written for this page.
Differentiation Strategies
For Struggling Students
Give counterclaim frames: "Some people argue that ... . It is true that ... . However, ... . This shows that ... ."
Provide the source packet with the plus and minus facts already marked, and let students answer one counterclaim instead of two
Let students plan with Diagram 1 as a fill-in organizer before they write sentences
For Advanced Students
Ask students to write the strongest possible opposing argument in one paragraph, then decide whether the model answers it well enough, and revise the model's response if it does not
Have students find the one place where the model writer admits a cost of the plan (the earlier elementary start) and suggest how the district could find out what elementary families think
Ask students to list three questions a careful reader would ask about the Seattle study before using it as evidence for Juniper Valley
Assessment Guidance
What to Look For
Check that the claim says what should change and that the writer names at least one opposing or alternate claim fairly, in words its supporters would accept. Each counterclaim should get all three moves: acknowledge, grant and respond, with evidence in the response. Every fact should come from a credible, named source and match the original exactly; watch for numbers borrowed from Source G. Each piece of evidence should be followed by reasoning that says what it shows. Look for cohesion: transitions that show relationships (however, because, for this reason) and words that point back to an earlier idea (this cost, the trade). The style should stay formal, with no insults toward the other side, and the conclusion should restate the claim and show why it still holds after the counterclaims.
02
Classroom Activities
3 Activities
1
Opposing, Alternate or Neither? Card Sort
15 minPairs
Pairs sort eight cards that respond to one claim, Juniper Valley should add a 20-minute advisory period to the school day, into three piles: opposing claims, alternate claims, and statements that are not claims at all. Then they plan how to answer one counterclaim. The activity builds standard a: introducing a claim, acknowledging other claims and organizing reasons logically. (An advisory period is a short daily class where a teacher meets with the same small group to check in and plan.)
The 8 Cards
1. Juniper Valley should not add an advisory period, because the day is already long enough.
2. Instead of a daily advisory period, Juniper Valley should hold a longer check-in once a week.
3. Juniper Valley's school day is 7 hours and 5 minutes long.
4. Adding 20 minutes of advisory would take time away from classes, so the school should skip the idea.
5. Rather than adding advisory, Juniper Valley should train every homeroom teacher to hold short check-ins.
6. Some students have strong feelings about advisory periods.
7. The school should add a counselor instead of an advisory period.
8. What would students do during an advisory period?
Procedure
Pairs sort the eight cards and write a one-line reason for each placement
Teacher key: opposing claims are cards 1 and 4, alternate claims are cards 2, 5 and 7, and cards 3, 6 and 8 are not claims (a fact, a statement that takes no position and a question)
Each pair chooses one opposing card and one alternate card and writes one sentence that acknowledges each fairly
Pairs decide which counterclaim they would answer first in an essay and explain the order in one sentence (the most serious objection first, or the one that connects to the last reason)
Discussion Questions
Cards 2, 5 and 7 all accept that students need support. Why does that make them alternate claims rather than opposing claims?
What would you need to add to card 6 to turn it into a claim?
Why might answering an alternate claim persuade readers who already agree that there is a problem?
2
Fact-Check Relay
20 minGroups of 3
Groups test every source in the packet for both credibility and accuracy, using the grid in Diagram 2, and trace each fact the model argument uses back to its source. The activity builds standard b: accurate, credible sources, logical reasoning and understanding of the topic.
Roles
Reader: reads each source aloud
Checker: finds the original fact in another source when one exists and compares the words and numbers
Recorder: places each source in one cell of the Diagram 2 grid and writes one reason
Procedure
Groups place all seven sources in the grid, changing roles after each source
Teacher note: Source G is the only source whose facts clash with other sources in the packet; each group should name the sources it contradicts. Sources D and E are invented local sources whose writers work for the district, so they are credible on buses and games
Groups trace five facts in the model argument (the 186 of 300 students, the two-hour shift, the 7 hours and 40 minutes, the 34 minutes and the 18 buses) back to their sources and confirm each one matches
Each group writes one sentence of reasoning that explains what the Seattle study can and cannot show about Juniper Valley
Discussion Questions
Source E comes from a credible writer, yet it helps opponents of the plan. Should a writer who supports a later start still use it? Why?
Which facts would you need before you could judge whether $1.3 million a year is a lot of money for a school district?
How can a reader tell whether a claim such as "ALWAYS raises test scores" is accurate?
Modification for Distance Learning
Share the grid as a document with one row per source. Each student places the sources alone for five minutes, then the group meets in a breakout room to agree on one cell per source.
3
Counterclaim Makeover
20 minPairs
Pairs rebuild the weak draft from Guided Practice into a formal paragraph with an accurate claim, a counterclaim answered in three moves, cohesive transitions and a concluding sentence. The activity builds standards c, d and e, and the counterclaim part of standard a.
Cohesion Bank
To acknowledge: opponents point out that, some families worry that, one alternative is
To grant: it is true that, they are right that, admittedly
To respond: however, even so, still, this concern overlooks
To show cause and effect: because, since, for this reason, as a result
Words that point back: this cost, the trade, that result, these concerns
To conclude: for these reasons, in the end, overall
Procedure
Replace the first sentence with a claim that says what Juniper Valley should do and when
Cross out every fact taken from Source G and replace it with an accurate fact from a credible source in the packet, naming the source
Rewrite the sentence about buses as a counterclaim in three moves, using Source D in the response
Replace the sentence that insults people who disagree with a formal sentence that shows respect for their concern
Add a concluding sentence that restates the claim and shows why it still holds after the counterclaim
Trade with another pair, who circle every word that creates cohesion and label the relationship it shows
Letter Variation
Pairs turn their paragraph into a short letter to the school board. They add a greeting and a closing, keep the formal style, and place the counterclaim where a board member who worries about cost would expect it.
03
Diagrams & Visual Aids
2 diagrams
Diagram 1: The Plan of a Grade 7 Argument
Each box is a part of the argument, and each blue label is a transition that links it to the part before. The new grade 7 part is the counterclaim section in the middle: the writer states the other side fairly, grants what is true about it, and then responds with evidence. The model argument answers three counterclaims this way, in paragraphs 4, 5 and 6.
Diagram 2: Is the Source Credible, and Is the Fact Accurate?
A fact is ready to use only when it lands in the green cell: a credible source and a fact that matches the original. A credible writer can still pass on a fact incorrectly, and a weak source can repeat a true fact, so ask both questions. The red cell holds facts a writer should never use.
04
Homework Assignment
~30 min
W.7.1 Homework: Should the Cafeteria Switch to Washable Trays?
Directions: Use the homework source set in the Closure section of the lesson plan. You will write an argument of 5-6 paragraphs, one step at a time, answering this question: Should Juniper Valley replace its foam lunch trays with washable trays? You may argue yes, no, or a different plan. Whatever you decide, you must answer at least one opposing or alternate claim. Name each source in your sentence, check every number against the source it came from, and keep a formal style.
Part 1: Check the Sources and Plan (Problems 1-2)
Place each of the six sources in one cell of the Diagram 2 grid (credible or weak; accurate or not accurate) and give one reason for each. For Source 5, use the numbers in Sources 1 and 2 to test its claim, and show your math.
Write your claim in one sentence. List two reasons in a logical order and explain the order in one sentence. Then write the strongest opposing claim and one alternate claim on this question.
Part 2: Introduction and Reasons (Problems 3-4)
Write your introduction: two or three sentences of background, your claim, a preview of your reasons, and a sentence that tells readers you will answer the other side.
Write one body paragraph for each reason. Each paragraph gives the reason, at least one accurate fact from a credible, named source, and a sentence of reasoning that explains what the fact shows.
Part 3: Counterclaim, Cohesion and Conclusion (Problems 5-6)
Write a counterclaim paragraph that answers the opposing claim from Problem 2 in three moves: acknowledge it fairly, grant what is true, and respond with evidence and reasoning. Circle every word or phrase that creates cohesion and label what each one does.
Write a concluding paragraph that restates your claim and shows why it still holds after the counterclaim. Then reread the whole argument for formal style, and list two changes you made.
Rubric
Criterion
Full Credit (2 pts)
Partial Credit (1 pt)
No Credit (0 pts)
Claim, Counterclaim and Organization
Clear claim; an opposing or alternate claim acknowledged fairly and answered; reasons in a logical order
Claim present, but the counterclaim is dismissed or answered without evidence
No claim, or no counterclaim
Reasoning, Evidence and Sources
Each reason supported by an accurate fact from a credible, named source, followed by reasoning
Evidence present but unexplained, or one fact is inaccurate or from a weak source
No evidence
Cohesion and Formal Style
Transitions and pointing words link ideas and show relationships; formal and respectful throughout
Few links between ideas, or some informal words
No transitions; informal or insulting
Conclusion
Restates the claim and shows why it holds after the counterclaim
Repeats the claim only, or adds a new idea
No conclusion
05
Quiz: 20 Questions
Interactive, with answers
Instructions
The questions use the source packet, the model argument and the weak draft in the lesson plan, and questions 6, 16 and 19 use the homework source set in the Closure section. Your score updates as you answer, and Reset quiz clears everything so you or your students can try again.
Multiple choice: pick an option to check it. Short answer: write your answer, then reveal the model answer.
0 of 20 answered · 0 correct
Question 1 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which sentence could be the claim of an argument about lunch at Juniper Valley?
Answer: B
B says what should change, and a reader could argue against it, so it is a claim. A is a fact that anyone can check, so there is nothing to argue. C reports that opinions exist but takes no position. D asks a question; a claim answers one.
Question 2 of 20 · Multiple Choice
In paragraph 1 of the model argument, which sentence states the writer's claim?
Answer: D
D says what the writer wants the school to do; the next sentence previews the reasons. A and C are background and evidence that set up the claim. B is the sentence that tells readers the other side will be answered, not the claim itself.
Question 3 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which response to the claim Juniper Valley should start at 8:30 is an alternate claim rather than an opposing claim?
Answer: C
C accepts the problem, sleepy students in first period, and offers a different fix, so it is an alternate claim. A, B and D all argue that the start time should stay the same for a reason, which makes them opposing claims.
Question 4 of 20 · Multiple Choice
How does paragraph 4 of the model argument handle the opposing claim about buses?
Answer: A
The writer grants the point ("They are right that the simplest version of the plan would cost too much") and then responds with Bell's second fact, that trading start times needs no new buses. B is never argued. C is the kind of insult the weak draft uses. D is wrong: the paragraph answers the problem instead of leaving it.
Question 5 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Why should a writer not use Source G's statement that the American Academy of Pediatrics "wants school to start at 10:00"?
Answer: D
Source A summarizes the AAP's own statement, and it gives 8:30 a.m. or later, so Source G's 10:00 is not accurate. A invents a length rule. B is wrong twice: the statement is not accurate, and the problem is the fact itself, not the kind of website. C confuses taking a side with being inaccurate; evidence for a claim is supposed to support it.
Question 6 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Use the homework source set. A writer needs evidence for this reason: The switch would change how much the cafeteria spends each day. Which pair of sources gives the most accurate, credible support?
Answer: D
The cafeteria manager and the principal are named, work at the school, and give the prices and daily costs the reason is about (paragraphs 1 and 2). A comes from credible sources, but it is about trash, not spending, so it is not relevant. B includes Source 5, an advertisement whose claim does not match the school's numbers. C includes Source 6, an anonymous comment with no facts.
Question 7 of 20 · Multiple Choice
In paragraph 6, why does the writer reject the idea of assigning less homework?
Answer: B
The writer grants that less homework "might help a little" but responds that it "misses the main cause," pointing to the AAP's explanation. A and D invent facts that appear nowhere in the packet. C misreads Source C, which asks about sleep, not homework.
Question 8 of 20 · Multiple Choice
A classmate writes, The Seattle study proves that every Juniper Valley student will get exactly 34 more minutes of sleep. What does this show the classmate has misunderstood?
Answer: C
A median is the middle value, so some students gained more and some less, and the result comes from two high schools in another city. It suggests what might happen; it cannot promise an exact result. A invents a rule about dates. B reverses the finding. D is wrong: the study looked at high school students.
Question 9 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Choose the transition that best fills the blank: The Juniper Valley gym is closed on weekends. ____, the town recreation center is open on both Saturday and Sunday.
Answer: C
The second sentence describes the opposite situation, so in contrast shows the relationship. As a result would mean the gym's closing causes the center to open. For example would make the center an example of the gym. Similarly signals a matching idea, not an opposite one.
Question 10 of 20 · Multiple Choice
In paragraph 3, what does the sentence That result also answers a common worry, that students would simply stay up later do?
Answer: A
"That result" points back to the 34 minutes, and the sentence uses it to answer the worry that a later start would only shift bedtimes. B is wrong: no second study is named. C reverses the sentence's meaning. D confuses it with paragraph 7, which begins "For these reasons."
Question 11 of 20 · Multiple Choice
In paragraph 5, what do the words This is a real cost refer back to?
Answer: B
"This" points back to the sentence before it, about players on away teams leaving class about 30 minutes early. Pointing words like this one create cohesion by tying a new sentence to the last idea. A and D belong to paragraph 4, and C to paragraph 1.
Question 12 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which sentence answers an opposing view in a formal style?
Answer: C
C states the other side respectfully and precisely. A insults people who disagree. B uses slang ("the whole bus thing," "lame"). D speaks to the reader as "you," uses slang and ends with an exclamation point.
Question 13 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which concluding statement best follows from and supports the model argument?
Answer: A
A restates the claim and gathers the reasons, including the answer to the bus counterclaim, so it follows from and supports the argument. B adds a new topic. C repeats background about a source. D repeats one fact and leaves out the claim and the reasons.
Question 14 of 20 · Multiple Choice
The model argument gives its two reasons first and answers the counterclaims afterward. Why is this order logical?
Answer: B
Readers need to understand the case for the change before the objections make sense; each response then shows the claim still holds. A invents a rule: a counterclaim can also come earlier. C is not a reason about order. D describes hiding the other side, which is the opposite of acknowledging it.
Question 15 of 20 · Short Answer
Claim: Juniper Valley should open the gym for free basketball from 7:00 to 7:30 each morning. Some families object that students would arrive at first period tired and sweaty. Write a counterclaim paragraph of three or four sentences that acknowledges this concern, grants what is true, and responds using this fact: the gym would close 15 minutes before first period, and players would have that time to change and cool down. Keep a formal style.
Model answer: "Some families worry that morning basketball would send students to first period tired and sweaty. It is true that a hard game right before class could make it harder to focus. However, the gym would close at 7:30, 15 minutes before first period begins, which gives players time to change and cool down. With that break built in, the plan gives students exercise without costing them attention in class." Rubric line: 2 points for all three moves, the given fact used in the response, and formal style; 1 point if one move is missing; 0 if the concern is dismissed or insulted.
Question 16 of 20 · Short Answer
Use the homework source set. Source 5 says washable trays "pay for themselves in ONE MONTH." Using Sources 1 and 2, explain in two or three sentences whether this claim is accurate. Show the numbers you use.
Model answer: The claim is not accurate. Foam trays cost about $36 a day (600 trays at $30 for every 500 trays), but washing trays would cost about $45 a day ($40 of staff time plus $5 for water and electricity), so washable trays cost more to use each day and never save money to pay back their $3,200 price. The advertisement comes from a company that sells trays, and its claim does not match the school's own numbers. Rubric line: 2 points for comparing the daily costs correctly and concluding that the claim is not accurate; 1 point for the right conclusion with a numbers error, or correct numbers with no conclusion.
Question 17 of 20 · Short Answer
Write an introduction of three or four sentences for an argument on this question: Should Juniper Valley require every seventh grader to take one semester of music or art? Include your claim, a preview of two reasons, and a sentence that acknowledges the other side.
Model answer: "Juniper Valley seventh graders choose all of their electives, and some never take a music or art class. Juniper Valley should require one semester of music or art in seventh grade, because these classes teach skills that other subjects do not and give every student a chance to discover a new interest. Some families worry that a required class would crowd out electives students already want, and that concern deserves an answer." Rubric line: 2 points for background, a clear claim, a preview of two reasons and a fair acknowledgment of the other side; 1 point if the acknowledgment or the preview is missing; 0 for a topic or fact only.
Question 18 of 20 · Short Answer
Join these two sentences into one sentence that shows how they are related. Use a word, phrase or clause from the lesson, and name the relationship: Most away games start at 4:00, only 25 minutes after a 3:35 dismissal. Players on away teams would have to leave class early.
Model answer: "Because most away games start at 4:00, only 25 minutes after a 3:35 dismissal, players on away teams would have to leave class early." The clause beginning with because shows cause and effect: the early game time is what forces players to leave class. (Also acceptable: "... dismissal; as a result, players on away teams ...") Rubric line: 2 points for a correct sentence with a transition that fits and a correct label; 1 point if the transition fits but the label is missing or wrong.
Question 19 of 20 · Short Answer
Use the homework source set. Write two or three sentences that support this reason: Foam trays create a large amount of trash that cannot be recycled. Use facts from two credible sources, name them, and add a sentence of reasoning.
Model answer: "The Juniper Valley green club counted 3,000 foam trays thrown away in one five-day week, enough to fill 12 large trash bags. According to the county solid waste department, foam trays are not accepted in county recycling bins. Because none of these trays can be recycled, every one of them adds to the landfill, week after week." Rubric line: 2 points for accurate facts from two credible, named sources (Sources 3 and 4, or Source 1) plus reasoning; 1 point if the reasoning is missing or only one source is used; 0 for facts from Source 5 or 6.
Question 20 of 20 · Short Answer
Here is the plan of a short argument. Claim: Juniper Valley should add a second lunch period. Reason: the one lunch period is too crowded for everyone to find a seat. Counterclaim answered: a second lunch would shorten one class, but only by 10 minutes. Write a concluding statement of one or two sentences that follows from and supports this argument.
Model answer: "For these reasons, Juniper Valley should add a second lunch period. Giving every student a seat is worth the 10 minutes it would take from one class." Rubric line: 2 points for restating the claim and showing why it still holds after the counterclaim, with no new topic; 1 point for restating the claim only; 0 for a new topic.
0 of 20 answered · 0 correct
06
Frequently Asked Questions
10 Questions
What does W.7.1 mean?
W.7.1 means that seventh graders can write an argument that supports a claim with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, and that answers the other side.
Its five parts ask students to introduce the claim, acknowledge alternate or opposing claims, and organize reasons logically (a); support the claim with logical reasoning and evidence from accurate, credible sources that shows an understanding of the topic (b); create cohesion and show how claims, reasons and evidence relate (c); keep a formal style (d); and end with a conclusion that follows from and supports the argument (e).
How is W.7.1 different from W.6.1?
Grade 7 adds the other side: students must acknowledge alternate or opposing claims.
W.7.1 also asks for logical reasoning instead of only clear reasons, sources that are accurate as well as credible, words that create cohesion, and a conclusion that supports the argument as well as following from it. In grade 8 (W.8.1), students go one step further and distinguish their claim from the others.
What is a counterclaim in seventh grade writing?
A counterclaim is a claim that disagrees with the writer's, stated so the writer can answer it.
It can be an opposing claim ("keep the 7:45 start") or an alternate claim that offers a different solution ("keep 7:45 but give less homework"). This lesson teaches three moves for answering one: acknowledge it fairly, grant what is true, and respond with evidence.
Does W.7.1 require a rebuttal, or only acknowledging the other side?
The standard's wording is "acknowledge," but an argument is stronger when the writer also responds.
Simply naming the other side and moving on leaves readers wondering why it is wrong. Many teachers ask seventh graders to grant what is true and then respond with evidence, which also prepares them for grade 8, where they must distinguish their claim from the other claims, and for high school, where they develop counterclaims fairly and point out their limitations.
What is the difference between an opposing claim and an alternate claim?
An opposing claim says the writer's idea should not happen; an alternate claim offers a different way to solve the same problem.
If the claim is "start school at 8:30," then "keep 7:45" is opposing, and "keep 7:45 but assign less homework" is alternate. Alternate claims often come from people who agree that there is a problem, so answering them can persuade readers who are close to agreeing.
What does "accurate, credible sources" mean in W.7.1?
A credible source is one readers can trust because of who wrote it; an accurate fact is one that matches the original exactly.
The two can come apart. An anonymous blog can misquote a doctors' organization, and a trustworthy writer can round a number carelessly. Seventh graders should trace each fact back to where it began and copy numbers exactly.
Where should the counterclaim go in a W.7.1 argument?
There is no single required place, as long as the organization is logical.
A common plan gives the reasons first and answers the counterclaims afterward, before the conclusion. A writer can also answer an objection inside the reason it attacks. Either way, the introduction can signal that the other side will be answered.
What does "cohesion" mean in W.7.1c?
Cohesion means that sentences and paragraphs hold together, so readers can follow how each idea connects to the last.
Writers create it with transitions (however, because, for this reason), with clauses that show relationships ("if the district traded start times"), and with words that point back to an earlier idea ("this cost," "that result"). Grade 6 asked students to clarify relationships; grade 7 adds cohesion.
How is W.7.1 usually assessed?
W.7.1 is usually assessed with a written argument scored on a rubric for claim, counterclaim, evidence, organization, language and conventions.
Many state tests give students a few short sources and ask them to write an argument that uses them and addresses another point of view. Check your state's released practice tasks and scoring guides for the exact format.
How can parents help with W.7.1 argument writing at home?
When your child asks for something, ask them to name your strongest objection before you answer.
Then ask two questions from this lesson: "What is true about my objection?" and "What fact answers it?" Reading a news story together and checking whether a number matches the original source builds the habit of accuracy.
07
Related Standards
5 standards
These standards connect to W.7.1: prerequisites to review first, parallel standards at the same level, and next steps that build on it.
Before this lesson
W.6.1Prerequisite
Write arguments that support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence
